Backlit Metal Decorative Component With Flush-Filled Raster Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing backlit decorative components with metal surfaces face challenges in creating delicate design elements with a minimum metal thickness, as thicker metal layers are difficult to deform and fill with plastic, leading to uneven surfaces and a loss of the metal's thermal conductivity perception.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a metal decorative layer with a minimum thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm, where recesses are created in the metal layer and filled with a partially transparent or translucent plastic carrier layer using an embossing process to form backlit design elements, ensuring a smooth and flush surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a film is pressed into recesses to line them flush, then the surface appearance is improved, but the method reaches its limits with thicker decorative layers where the film cannot be deformed sufficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical film pressing method with a material deposition method. Instead of deforming a film to fill recesses, the invention deposits plastic material directly into the recesses through injection molding, allowing the material to flow and fill the cavities without requiring external deformation forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the state of the plastic material from solid to molten during the injection process, allowing it to flow into recesses and then solidifies to fill them completely. This parameter change (temperature/state) enables the material to adapt to any recess depth and shape, overcoming the limitation of film deformation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the decorative layer is made particularly thin to allow film deformation, then the manufacturing process is easier, but the user will not perceive it as a metal layer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical film pressing approach with injection molding, allowing the use of thicker metal decorative layers (0.05-0.5 mm) that maintain their metal perception while still enabling complete filling of recesses with plastic material through the injection process.
3Ease of manufacture
If recesses are not completely flush, then manufacturing is simpler, but deformations of the film occur creating dents that impair visual or tactile appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces film-based mechanical filling with injection molding, where molten plastic is injected under pressure to completely fill recesses. The material flows into all cavities and solidifies to create a perfectly flush surface without requiring subsequent deformation or adjustment steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding process performs the filling action preliminarily and completely during the main manufacturing step. The plastic material is injected to fill all recesses before the component is ejected, ensuring complete filling without requiring secondary operations or adjustments.
4Device complexity
If a film is used to insulate the decorative layer and carrier layer, then manufacturing is simplified, but the film cannot be deformed sufficiently for thicker decorative layers
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the separate insulating film from the manufacturing process. Instead of using a film between the decorative layer and carrier layer, the plastic material of the carrier layer itself is injected to fill the recesses and provide the necessary insulation and structural support, simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of the insulating film and the carrier layer into a single integrated plastic structure. The carrier layer material serves both as the structural support and as the filling material for recesses, eliminating the need for a separate film layer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method allows for the production of decorative components with a 'disappearing effect' in the non-illuminated state, maintaining the perception of a metal surface's thermal conductivity while enabling effective backlighting of delicate design elements, ensuring a high-quality aesthetic and functional appearance.
Implementation Method 1
at least partially embossing the carrier layer in an at least partially softened state of the plastic
Implementation Method 2
embossing the carrier layer in an at least partially softened state of the plastic in order to fill a plurality of recesses in the metal decorative layer
Data Source
Figure 1~2C
Figure 3A~3E
Figure 4A~4D
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a decorative component (10) that can be backlit, comprising the steps of: providing a decorative steel-sheet metal layer (16); joining the decorative metal layer (16) with a plastic substrate layer (40), the substrate layer (40) being at least partly transparent or translucent, and the substrate layer (40), when joined, forming a rear layer behind the decorative metal layer (16); and at least partially embossing the substrate layer (40) when the plastic material has at least partially softened, in order to fill a plurality of recesses (30) in the decorative metal layer (16) with the plastic material from the rear substrate layer (40) so as to be flush, the recesses (30) filled with the plastic material forming grid elements (32, 34), in particular image points which, when combined, form at least one grid-type design element (18) of the decorative component (10) that can be backlit. The invention further relates to a system for manufacturing a decorative component (10) that can be backlit and to a decorative component (10) that can be backlit.